Fading Light
by Rebelwithaheart
Summary: There's no garuntees in life. It's fickle and unreliable. Living their dreams, Miley, Lilly and family are soon to learn this the hard way.


**This is my first attempt at Hannah Montana fiction and any suggestions would be very much appreciated, so don't forget to leave a review!**

**Pairing is Liley! Just so you know....**

**Disclaimer: The Hannah Montana show and it's characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them so as to defeat my boredom.**

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Patience had never been a quality she had possessed in ample quantities, and the smug, over bearing attitude of New York's self proclaimed 'Queen' of trash, was doing nothing to improve the frustration that had been simmering since she had overslept this morning. Fortunately, Miley Ray Stewart had the art of pretense to perfection. No doubt the media world would erupt into a scandalous frenzy if America's musical sweetheart were to break out into a string of screaming profanities in mid-day, while surrounded by a varied collection of camera's, microphones and adoring fans.

It was tempting though.

"Mrs. Stewart, I was just wondering if you could shed any light on recent rumours....."

The popstar raised a slim eyebrow in response, full lips quirking into an endearing half smile that had more than a few of the cameramen swooning in response.

"I could...."

With not even a strand of bottle blonde hair falling out of place, the presenter hurried alongside Miley matching her brisk pace, not for a second forgetting to highlight the presence of her surgically aided assets.

"......but then they wouldn't be rumours"

With a cheeky wink to the cameraman, the songstress and her bodyguard broke through the last of the clamouring paparazzi, making it to the relative safety of the blacked out Mercedes that awaited her. Slipping into the back of the SUV, Miley settled into the comfort of the leather seat, a relieved sigh slipping unbidden from her full, glossy lips.

"Bitch"

Vita's casual tone coaxed a light giggle from her, and with her final glance of the peroxide blonde presenter being that of her stamping her knock-off Jimmy Choo's clad foot, Miley was more than inclined to agree.

Thick, chestnut curls fell haphazardly around her face as she let her head fall back, none too pleased that her day had still to continue despite the overwhelming yearning to just return to the comfort of her bed and it's other occupant. Deciding that she would just have to settle for the next best thing, the young brunette searched through her bag for her Blackberry, impatience eventually resulting in her tipping all the contents onto the seat, much to her publicist's chagrin.

"Celebrities. Such a flair for the dramatics"

The musician spared only a fleeting glance towards her companion, attention still focused on retrieving her ever elusive phone.

"I heard that"

Vita flashed a sly smile and pulled out her own phone, eyes already scanning through her diary as she spoke.

"You were meant to"

With only her trademark eye roll as a response, Miley finally succeeded in plucking the slim device from beneath the overwhelming number of 'essentials' that she lugged around with her. Settling back, she hit her speed dial and pressed the phone to her ear, ignoring her publicist's over zealous preening of whomever was on the other end of her iPhone.

"Hey Pretty Girl"

At the affectionate greeting, Miley's face broke out into a soft smile, contentment washing through her. The feeling, however wasn't enough to wipe out a morning's worth of frustration.

"Kill me now!"

Resting her head against the cool, smoothness of the tinted window, Miley listened to the soft chuckles that followed her somewhat dramatic exclamation.

"That bad huh?"

"I wanna come home"

Although completely aware of Vita's eye roll and vehement shake of the head, Miley chose to ignore them in favour of accompanying her childish whine with a pout.

"You sound like a five year old, Miles"

"Don't"

"You do"

"You're imagining things"

The light giggles that followed were enough to transform her juvenile pout into a soft smile, the simmering flames of frustration fading slightly.

"Well my imagination seems to be playing up a lot lately, because i'm quite sure that someone who looked _distinctly_ like my wife, was the cause of my rather rude and painful awakening this morning"

Miley cringed at the thought of her dramatic - not to mention aggressive - display that morning.

"Yeah, about that..................Sorry?"

"For what? Waking me up at 7 in the morning on my day off? Or because you did so by nearly suffocating me with your wet towel and decapitating me with your Prada heels?"

Embarrassment flushed through her, lingering behind in the faint blush that tinted her cheeks. A sheepish smile tugged at the corners of her lips and the amused smirk she knew to be on the other end of the phone, sent a rush of tingling emotion pulsing through her.

"I really am sorry"

"Don't worry about it....."

The amused tone faded out, replaced instead with a mischievous seductiveness.

"......you were forgiven the moment I saw your ass in those jeans"

Smile widening, the young songstress leant further away from her publicist and back into the soft leather, her voice adopting a sultry softness that would have left her father blushing and pointedly ignoring, Jackson shuddering and Oliver - in all his doughnut glory - completely oblivious.

"Really?"

"Mmmhhm"

"Well in that case I might just have to model them for you more often"

"That a promise?"

"It is and if you're _particularly_ well behaved, I'm sure we could find a few more outfits for the show"

"Ooh! A _show_? Do I get a backstage pass?"

"Access all areas, babe"

It was at that moment that Vita chose to look up, and catching the seductive grin, rosy cheeks and fluttering lashes of her long time client and friend, deemed it time for an intervention.

"Enough with the verbal copulation. We have a schedule to go through before we arrive and i'd rather not do it while you're thinking about which lingerie you'll be wearing for this _show_"

Cobalt eyes narrowed into a glower, embarrassment flushing her porcelain skin as though she had just been caught in a rather intense and compromising position by her father. Something she was glad to report hadn't happened since last year's surprise visit.

Needless to say, dinner had been an awkward affair.

"Ugh!"

A finely shaped eyebrow rose at Miley's less than enthusiastic response.

"Considering your occupation as a songwriter, your way with words is somewhat disappointing"

Channelling her inner teenager, Miley let out a frustrated cry, laughter filling her ear; apparently those she loved relished her suffering.

"I hate you both"

"Love you too sweetheart"

All southern etiquette abandoned, she disconnected the call, mumbling incoherently about blonde Californians and their penchant for the torture of others; particularly herself. Juvenile pout in place, she crossed her arms over her chest, glowering at Vita in a manner reminiscent to Oliver when someone suggested sharing food.

"Remind me why I keep you around?"

"Because I'm-"

Whatever attributes Vita was about to claim possession of, were lost beneath the sound of screeching tyres and screaming horns.

Miley had only enough time to register the silver BMW that was heading straight for them; ignorant of the red light that should have prohibited it from doing so, before the almighty, gut-wrenching sound of metal on metal crashed over her and darkness consumed her.


End file.
